New for the 2011-2012 seasons, the America East Daily Word, a collaboration between AmericaEast.com and AExtra, will recap the previous day's games and on goings on our nine campuses and provide links to previews, recaps, features and exclusive coverage.

Indiana head men’s basketball coach Tom Crean tweeted (@TomCrean) yesterday about his Hoosiers’ opener against Stony Brook tonight.

“This is going to be the toughest opener I have ever been involved in as a Head Coach. Wow. Stony Brook plays relentless and tough.” 

It is a fun time of year. This is when the mid-major teams get to take cracks at the big boys, pull off the season-defining upsets. Two of those games happen tonight on the men’s side – both on the road, both against teams with proud basketball traditions, both in hostile environments. Stony Brook takes on Indiana at Assembly Hall and Albany travels to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers.

Crean is obviously not taking the Seawolves lightly. Maine beat Big Ten foe Penn State to start the season last year and Stony Brook has a chance to knock off the Hoosiers. The Seawolves have the size, experience and depth to compete against Indiana. And what better place to show the nation you can compete than on national television? The Big Ten Network has that game tonight.

Albany opens with a tough Panther team, which will most likely be one of the best teams in the Big East come season’s end. ESPN3 has this game so it’s another great chance for an America East school to show some gumption and play hard against a top-tier opponent.

America East men’s teams have eight wins against BCS teams since 2008.

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